She ran a bath, got into the water and ate chocolate cake while starting to read. It was only seconds until she imagined herself as Georgia Rory.

Sun sparkled on the azure sea as the motorboat chugged and bobbed on the waves, leaving behind a stream of white foam. Standing at the bow, saltwater specked Georgia’s face. The beach ahead shone gold and she couldn’t wait to sink her toes into the warm sand and maybe catch a fish or two. She licked her lips and wondered if he’d be there to greet her. Just thinking about him made her body ripple with expectation.

But wait. Georgia squinted at the water. Was that a woman’s
head bobbing up and down and a hand reaching out? Was that a shark fin circling around? A woman’s cry for help split the air. Without a moment’s hesitation, Georgia dove into the choppy water and front-crawled toward the woman in danger.

A rap on the door interrupted her reading. “Mum, do you know where my sports bag is?” Johnny said.

“It’s in your wardrobe,” Liv shouted out.

“I’ve looked in there.”

Liv sighed, irritated. “Look again.” She reached over the side of the bath and let the book fall from her fingers. Holding her nose, she sank down until the water covered her face. Hold on, she called out in her head to the imaginary woman in trouble. I’m coming to get you.

The next day, when Liv woke up and went downstairs, the house was already empty. Jake had left a note stuck to the fridge. “Gone to the park for a kick about x”

The sink overflowed with three sets of used cups, bowls, plates and cutlery. Butter sat on the worktop going soft. Liv put it back in the fridge, unsure if the empty feeling in her stomach was hunger or something else.

She used to look forward to spending Saturdays at the park with Mack and Johnny, before their love of football became competitive and all-consuming. After that, Liv started to meet up with friends instead, but most of them had younger kids. They dragged them along to hip coffee shops where it was tricky to have an adult conversation, and the price of a latte could mean taking out a small loan.

Her spirits lifted when she got a text from her mum.

Hi love. Fancy a coffee in the park café? I’ll be there at 10 x

Yes! Liv replied. Would love that x.

She took a quick shower, pulled on jeans, Johnny’s old Pac-Man T-shirt and a warm coat, then pushed The River After Midnight into her handbag before speeding out of the house.